Naked Humanity

This week a listener asks, does humanity seem small and insignificant to you? Does it scare you? I reflect on how modern humans are more worried about insignificance than any before, and I describe two primary philosophical ways of solving the problem. You could very generally describe them as ‘eastern’ and ‘western.’ I share which I prefer and why it works for me.

(Note: this is an "x" episode and the only episode this week!)

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, engaging, insightful, provocative guests out there.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate in religion and science Stefani Ruper.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

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We grow up hearing about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, the midnight ride of Paul Revere. These are glorious tales of courage and triumph. But what other stories aren’t being told? Today I chat with the co-founders of Uncomfortable Oxford, an organization that leads walking tours around Oxford showcasing the less comfortable bits of Oxford’s history: moments of racism, sexism, classism, colonialism. I and the founders Olivia Larsson and Paula Durand chat about the ugly parts of our past. We also talk about why these ugly parts so often go untold, the challenge of trying to get an accurate picture of the past, and how to facilitate conversations about uncomfortable history that are respectful and productive.

Learn more from Uncomfortable Oxford at their website - http://uncomfortableoxford.co.uk - and follow them on twitter @unoxproject.

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, engaging, insightful, provocative guests out there.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate in religion and science Stefani Ruper.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

For this episode, a listener writes in and asks: is it a problem that I go shopping every time I get bad news or have a bad day? This listener isn’t alone - #primetherapy is a hashtag that trends on social media on a regular basis. So what gives? Why are humans constantly medicating and anaesthetizing with shopping, with social media, with TV, with exercise addiction, with food, with alcohol, gambling, drugs, and more? I respond to the listener question drawing on personal experience and on my expertise in a field of the humanities called affect theory. Affect theorists study human beings as animals that are constantly seeking promises of satisfaction. In what sorts of things do you seek satisfaction? Are they healthy? Can they ever be healthy?

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, engaging, insightful, provocative guests out there.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate in religion and science Stefani Ruper.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

Many people think that libertarianism are selfish misers who like free markets because it helps make them rich. But that’s a radical misperception. In today’s episode, I chat with political commentator Cathy Reisenwitz, who identifies both as a libertarian and as a feminist who cares about racism, privilege, and many other issues commonly identified with the “left.” Cathy is the perfect example of how dangerous it is to over-simplify the political “other”. Cathy and I also discuss what’s wrong with San Francisco, why it’s important to address privilege, and how government can’t always be the solution to our problems.

Check out Cathy's blog Sex and the State @ cathyreisenwitz.com ; follow her on Twitter @cathyreisenwitz.

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, engaging, insightful, provocative guests out there.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate in religion and science Stefani Ruper.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

A listener writes in and asks: I think my family’s political views are backwards--how do I deal? I talk about her own experiences of dealing with political difference. I also describe how we can--no, must--use political difference NOT as an opportunity to change other people’s minds, but rather as an opportunity to grow in our own practices and values.

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts (a team of two, anyway) to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, engaging, insightful, provocative guests we can find.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate and theorist of the human condition Stefani Ruper.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

Pope Francis might try to make Catholicism more green, and priests and pastors all over the world might make their churches recycle, and many small groups and individuals might try very hard to help, but in today’s podcast specialist in religion and the environment Bron Taylor reveals the truth: as much as we want traditional religions to be progressively environmental, across the board they exhibit inertia and struggle. Modern, traditional religions seem to inhibit environmental progress. Why? Today I chat with him to get to the bottom of it.

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts (a team of two, anyway) to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, engaging, insightful, provocative guests we can find.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate and theorist of the human condition Stefani Ruper.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

For this episode a listener writes in and asks, how do I figure out what to do with my life? Why is it so hard to feel purposeful? I reflect on the current cultural moment, explain why so many people struggle with finding a “purpose” these days, and provide three ways to respond to the problem depending on your own personality.

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts (a team of two, anyway) to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, engaging, insightful, provocative guests we can find.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate and theorist of the human condition Stefani Ruper.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

Is there a way to advertise to people that is ethical, or are we basically doomed to forever con one another into buying our services? On today’s podcast, I chat with drag king, burlesque dancer, and PhD student Kaila Tova about the ways in which marketing influences our decisions and the shape of our worlds. Kaila is the host of the podcast “Your Body, Your Brand” that explores the ways in which people--often women--end up selling health and fitness online. Kaila knows ALL about this after battling eating disorders, becoming a nutrition coach, and watching how the ways in which people brand themselves shapes their messages, their communities, and their  lives.

Check out the podcast “Your Body, Your Brand” by searching it on any podcasting platform, going to bodybrandpod.com or following  @bodybrandpod on Instagram or Twitter.

Also check out the podcast on the attention economy Kaila recommends, “Your Undivided Attention.”

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, most intellectually rigorous, and most exciting insights into human nature the world has to offer.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

Today’s episode goes deep. A listener writes in with the question: is life worth living? This is not an uncommon question. But, have people always struggled with life’s worthwhileness and meaning? I talk about the idea of meaning and why people today are more convinced life is meaningless than ever before. I also offer some surprising paths forward out of the philosophical abyss. (Important note, I don't presume to be able to solve mental health disorders and wouldn’t dare to.)

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, most intellectually rigorous, and most exciting insights into human nature the world has to offer.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate and theorist of the human condition Stefani Ruper. Ruper has worked as a scientist studying life on Mars, as a scholar of religion, and is now a specialist on the human condition in the modern world. Her genius is in refusing to hide from hard questions and harder answers, so you get a real, honest look at what it means to be human. Never shying away from controversy or unpopular opinions, Ruper demonstrates everything is more complicated when you peer behind the curtain - but that is exactly what we must to do make a better, happier world.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig

Did you know that relativism, capitalism, and consumerism were all born at the same time? It was in the 1500s, during the period we now know as the Protestant Reformation. This Reformation started humbly: people like Martin Luther just wanted Church officials to be less corrupt. But it ended up creating spiritual, philosophical, and economic chaos from which we have not--and may not ever--recover. Are we in a climate crisis because of some 400 year old religious disputes? Today I have on historian Brad Gregory to discuss how this one moment in time is still sending shock waves through us today.

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To enter the weekly giveaway for a FREE book, write a review of the podcast on iTunes (http://stefaniruper.com/listen), take a screen shot of your review, then email it to [email protected]. Then you'll be PERMANENTLY entered into the drawing! Check out the list of books you can get @ http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway.

Guests for this show are carefully curated and vetted by a team of content experts to bring you nothing less than the most interesting, most intellectually rigorous, and most exciting insights into human nature the world has to offer.

The host of Naked Humanity is Oxford PhD candidate and theorist of the human condition Stefani Ruper. Ruper has worked as a scientist studying life on Mars, as a scholar of religion, and is now a specialist on the human condition in the modern world. Her genius is in refusing to hide from hard questions and harder answers, so you get a real, honest look at what it means to be human. Never shying away from controversy or unpopular opinions, Ruper demonstrates everything is more complicated when you peer behind the curtain - but that is exactly what we must to do make a better, happier world.

*Subscribe on Youtube: http://bit.ly/2Y8fkfV

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stefani.ruper

Twitter: http://twitter.com/stefaniruper

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stefaniruper

Website: http://stefaniruper.com

*Subscribe on a podcasting app:

iTunes: https://apple.co/2JJM4Is

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Ye2b9x

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Y1vXig